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I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
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Women have amazing strength and really can do almost anything if they need to. Just think back to your ancestors, the women of the past, our early pioneer women and think what they endured and managed — they were amazing. Often on their own (whilst their husbands went off to hunt or to undertake business) the women not only had to care for their children, they also had to cut wood, tend to the animals and make sure everything ran smoothly.
In those early days women didn't live in comfortable homes as we do today, they lived in whatever their husbands could build, which might mean a tent or a timber or stone cottage with none of the mod-cons we have today. They were hot in summer and cold in winter, often had dirt floors and were not very pleasant. Women had to to make do with what they had. Those in urban locations often were living in overcrowded homes with no running water or their own toilet.
Many …

I have had a very busy week at work and my brain is feeling a little over-used!! So instead of finding artworks for you (which can take me ages), I thought I would share some photos I took on Wednesday when I went for my midday walk. This rose garden was in full-bloom at present and it looked glorious with all the green grass and blue sky against this fire-engine red rose.
I don't know about you, but at this time of the year I start to get a little weary and in need of a holiday (which I will be taking from the 25th of December for a month. I have so much to do over the next few weeks — gift buying, cards (which I haven't even thought about), food and then I have all the lunches (3 so far) and morning and afternoon teas I am going to (which don't help my waistline at all). I will be one very busy girl for the next 4 weeks. So my midday and evening walks are a much needed break where I can enjoy the scenery, get some fresh air and clear out all th…

Dear Blogging friends,
I think its about time I did an update from the sewing room (which is a little messy at present so no photos of the space!!). What have I been doing — not a lot really! I started to make a top but ran into difficulties trying to understand the pattern so taking it off to discuss with friends who sew! But I have been buying patterns, thats really the easy part of sewing!! I buy most from eBay —usually the older patterns that are often out of print or no longer in demand. These are my favourites and I have managed to find some treasures.
I was so excited about the pinafore (jumper) pattern (below) — I have been searching for the perfect pinafore pattern and struggle to find anything I liked, this is what I have been wanting. The pattern is a little too large so I will need to make it small, but I look forward to giving it a go!!
As to the other pattern (long green dress from Buttericks 5461) I plan to make this for summer but before I do, I am going to be cle…

Do you use table clothes these days? Are they in or are they out of fashion?
My mother always had a table-cloth on the table, it was common practice when I was growing up in the 1970s. We used it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These days many people do not use them at mealtime instead using place mats or nothing at all.
My mother had quite a collection of table-clothes, I think I own one.

According to Your tablecloth.com (who have written the history far better than I could):
The earliest proof of the existence of tablecloths, is drawn from the work of a poet named Martial who died c.103 AD who mentioned them in his writing, so tablecloths are believed to have come into use in Europe in the first century AD. Prior to this high-ranking Roman households are thought to have possessed tables that were exquisitely carved and therefore too ornate and beautiful to be covered by cloth! By looking at early artwork that still survives, it appears that the very first cloths appear to have been…

Happy thoughts I think are much needed at present with all the nasties going on around the world. Whilst it is important to know what is happening — it is not wise to watch and read every possible news story with the aim of catching all the gory detail as that only leads to increased worry and fear, the very thing we must avoid.
Instead we need to find as much joy in our lives as possible and not focus on the ugly.
The one place we need to be joyful, is our homes. We need to create places of refuge that is filled to the brim with joy, love and peace as our children need this more than ever at present. They are feeling very insecure and afraid at the moment with all the pressure they have in their lives plus the current world events from refugees to war and terrorism. They need to know that their home is a safe place where they are loved and wanted. They need to know that when life is tough they have a place to bunker down that is beautiful and calm to be in. It is our job as their …

1833–1867
We have see such ugliness in the last week with the tragic deaths of many innocent people in Paris and in other parts of the world as a result of terrorist attacks. It can be easy to forget that whilst these events are just horrible and most of us struggle to understand why they happen — we need to always remember the beauty that is around us. The terrorists don't want us to see the lovely, the kind, the caring, the gentle . . . but they are all there if we look. Just because the terrorists can't see the beauty, they can't take it away from us.
Enjoy these beautiful works of art of Edward Thompson Davis, in particular the scenes of family life — a grandmother with her grandchildren, the young listening to the elderly, two children helping each other. This is what we need to focus on.

Whilst I haven't always been a fan of wallpaper, some of the modern papers are just AMAZING.

The colours look so vibrant and the designs are gorgeous.

At least these modern wall-papers won't kill you! The famous William Morris wall-papers of the late 1800s were beautiful and every fashionable home had them, but sadly some of the colours were made from arsenic (green in particular) and when the wall-paper were located in the bedrooms (which were often damp as they didn't have the wonderful central heating we have today) and the windows were closed (particularly in winter) the arsenic vapours would either make the person sick or could even lead to death, particularly children. Fortunately the modern wall-papers (including the William Morris reproductions) are all arsenic free so you can sleep soundly.

Look at the ones above, I would love to have some of these in my home, especially the ones with the delicate butterflies. These are almost works of art. The problem with thes…

This week is Postnatal depression awareness week (in Australia) and its such an important issue to be aware of. A new mother can develop postnatal depression (PND) within a few days or weeks of giving birth. Around one in seven to ten mothers develop postnatal depression — that is a lot of women that we need to take special care of. According to experts, they do not know the exact causes of PND, but the enormous physical, emotional and social changes involved in becoming a parent seem to play a significant role. And something many are not aware of, new dads can also develop PND, particularly if their partner or wife is depressed.

Whilst many women have a wonderful post birth experience, as I did, as we can see from the statistics, not all women do and we need to make sure we do all we can to help. Both by understand post-natal depression but also reaching out with a helping hand. Symptoms of postnatal depression (PND):
The range of symptoms experienced depends on the severity of the d…

I have been reading "As Silver Refined - Answers to Life's Disappointments" by Kay Arthur. In chapter 8 "Peace amid the pain" she retells the story of Bruce Olson, the missionary who was captured by South American Marxist guerrillas and help captive for 9 months.
Bruce Olson was held in very poor conditions, in make-shift shelters that offered virtually no protection from the elements: rain, heat or humidity. He was sick with malaria and in a great deal of pain and discomfort. He was tortured and had to witness the deaths and abuse of the other prisoners.
Life was miserable. But regardless, this is what he had to say: It may seem bizarre to some people, but the truth is that it never once occurred to me that it was God's responsibility to rescue me miraculously from this situation. Instead I believed it was my responsibility to serve Him right where I was. What I asked of God from day to day was very simple, very practical, and I suppose quite typical of me…

Artist: Jeremy Lipking
Today is Friday the 13th and for some people this day is very problematic as they are superstitious of the number 13. I thought I would find out why as to me it all seems rather silly!! This of course, has nothing to do with today's artist who does great portraits that I do hope you enjoy!

* Very little is known about the origins of the day's notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The first documented mention of the day can be found in a biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday 13th. A 1907 book, Friday the Thirteenth, by American businessman Thomas Lawson may have further perpetuated the superstition.
* The fear of Friday the 13th is also called "friggatriskaidekaphobia" or "paraskevidekatriaphobia". I am not even going to try and pronounce these words, too tricky for me!! It affects many people who really don’t like this day!
* There canno…

Popular posts from this blog

Washing day
Wash on Monday,
Iron of Tuesday,
Mend of Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday.
Sometimes the ordinary and mundane have a quiet beauty we haven't really taken much notice of. Today's art is all about the washing on the line and some of these paintings are quite striking.

All quotes used today are by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Enjoy.

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

"Home is the nicest word there is"

"The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies"
And what happens after the washing is dry . . . the ironing!

One of the most popular topics among women Christian bloggers is the issue of whether women and girls should only wear skirts and dresses or is it ok to wear slacks/jeans. Some say Christian women should only wear skirts/dresses, others say it isn't a sin issue therefore it doesn't matter as long as the outfit remains modest. Others say skirts should be to the ground, others are happy at knee length. When you look across the blogs the responses are a mixed bag and it must be confusing to those women trying to decide which way to turn. So what do I think? This is my own personal convictions on the topic and I am not telling anyone else what to wear. I grew up wearing skirts/dresses almost exclusively. All the women in my family - young and old - wore skirts and dresses. I simply wasn't allow to wear anything different. I accepted this quite happierly as a child but as I got older (into my teens) it began to niggle me, partly because I began to stand out which wasn't s…

Art Friday: Susan Wheeler
Illustrator
Todays art is all about cute little mice and bunnies. I think they are adorable and I hope you do to. My favourite is the top one - I just wish I could join them for a cup of tea and scones!

Some families are well off, other families struggle financially, some have periods of poverty, others have burst of wealth. We are all different when it comes to how much money we bring in each week, how much money is in the bank or how big or small our debts are. We are all different, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. However I have noticed a growing trend among some Christian families to share with everyone how poor they are, how much they are struggling, how old the washing machine is or all the things they do without. In fact some bloggers activity encourage women to give up their jobs and return home and live in poverty as this is seen as the ultimate Christian sacrifice (interestingly I have seen this done by women who are so much more financially better off which even worse). Some families do exceptionally well on a very low income and others do very badly on a high income. However, what concerns me is the boastfulness of those who have chosen to live in poverty as if those who…

Who remembers free school milk?
I can.
And yuck . . . warm, creamy milk in glass bottles that tasted horrible.
Why were the bottles always left in the sun to get warm, especially in summer? They could sit for quite sometime until recess, some probably went slighly off!
And if you forgot to shake the bottle you got a mouth full of clumpy cream!
The programme started at the beginning of the 20th century with all children in kindergarten, infant and primary schools receiving free milk to improve their nutrition and general health. Between 1951 and 1973 the Commonwealth Schools’ Free Milk Scheme provided one third of a pint of whole milk per day to primary school children throughout Australia. The scheme ceased om 1973 but reintroduced in 1994.
Providing the milk had cost $72,000 in 1951, whereas it had grown in cost to just over $10 million in 1969. By 1970 the government was starting to wonder if the programme was producing any benefit, except turning children off milk. This document …